Improvement in targets



J. eBBELs. Target, No. 202,255. Patented "HI/911878.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

JOSEPH GOBBELS, OF ST. JOHNS, KENTUCKY.

IMPROVEMENT IN TARGETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202,255, dated April 9,1878; application filed December 12, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH GoBBELs, of St. Johns, Kenton county,Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement inShooting-Targets, of which the following is a specification My inventionrelates to a device whereby information of the part of the target struckis imparted to a distant observer.

The objectis accomplished as follows: The target-face consists of acongeries of concentric plates, which, with the central one, (bullseye,)are mounted on stems that slide inhorizontal orifices in the body-board.A spring holds each plate to the proper plane when at rest. At its rearend each stem communicates by bell-crank and rod with a latch, whoseelevation liberates a blind, whose fall exposes the figure or numberanswering to the corresponding plate in the targetface. A bar hinged tothe frame, and having a crank for attachment of a cord accessible to theattendant, enables an instant restoration of the blinds at any timewithout going near the target.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a targetembodying my invention, one of the blinds being shown dropped, and oneof the target-plates being omitted. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevationtaken at the line a: 00.

A represents a board or plank firmly secured in a vertical position.This plank, at its upper part, is of circular form, as shown, and istraversed by a congeries of horizontal apertures, a, for as many stems Bof plates, of

which the central one, 0, constitutes the,

bulls-eye, and of which the plates 0 are of the segmental annular formshown, and compose concentric rings around the bulls-eye, in the mannerindicated. In the present illustration but two of these rings arerepresented,

.but any greater number may be employed.

Springs D serve to hold each plate away from the front of the plank, andkeys E or collars arrest each plates advance, so as to bring all flush,as shown, exceptjat the instant of depression of either one of them bythe impact of a bullet, as hereinafter explained.

Each stem B is, by means of suitable bellcranks F F and rods G G,connected to one of a series of gravitating latches, H, of which thereis one for the bulls-eye and one for each zone or ring of target-plates.

Hinged to the plank A are a number of gravitating blinds, I, of whichthere is one for each hook or latch H, and either blind being liberatedby the temporary lifting of the appropriate latch exposes on the face ofthe plank a numeral indicative of the portion of the target struck, thehighest number corresponding to the bulls-eye, and so on, diminishingoutward. In the present illustration the highest number is 3, indicatingthe bullseye.

Hinged to the front of the plank A at J, and provided with an arm, K, isa bar, L, whose elevation, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2,serves to restore all the fallen blinds to their normal position.

A rope or cord, M, fastened to arm K and of any convenient length,enables the blinds to be controlled without near approach to the target.

I claim as new and of my invention- The combination of the concentrictargetplates 0 O, stems B B,'springs D D, bellcranks F F,connecting-rods G G, latches H H, and blinds I I, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JOSEPH GClBBELS.

Attest WALTER KNIGHT, L. H. BOND.

